Migraine Stroke

Muscle strain and Migraine Stroke

Mr S, a 35 year-old taxi-driver with a young family, had suffered one-sided headaches once or twice monthly for five years. They started when he gave up his polytechnic studies to join the family firm. After lifting some heavy luggage into the cab boot his back muscles on one side went into spasm, requiring a visit to the local hospital casualty department. After that incident he had continued to suffer muscular pain on the same side as well as tingling in his arms and legs and a clammy feeling in his skin. He had suffered from hay fever since his early years but had no other health problems. He ate a balanced diet, supplemented by a cod-liver oil capsule, but drank very little during the day, 'an occasional cola' was all he could record.
Mr S had tried various treatments, having teeth removed, braces fitted, physiotherapy, osteopathy, yoga and massage. All of them helped a little but none were curative. It seemed likely that Mr S was experiencing migraines with a number of causes. Driving all day, using his left arm for gear changes and lifting luggage, were creating excessive muscular tension and strain on one side of his body. Recurrent congestion due to hay fever (and earlier nasal polyps) contributed to head pain. Emotional
tension as Mr S settled into his new working life probably added to the general level of tension which he acknowledged. His osteopath confirmed that the muscles on one side of his body were hypertrophic and hypertonic (larger and more tense).

This worked slowly. Hay fever symptoms disappeared in three weeks, muscular pains and headaches eased after two months. Mr S started a system of postural re-training called Alexander Technique which increased the improvement and he tried to remember to get out of his cab and stretch between fares.

Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left, and laughing feels better right now.